Wheel balancing weights with body and mounting clip

Abstract

A wheel balancing weight has a body for providing mass and a clip attached to the body to securely grip a flange of a wheel. The clip defines a compartment within which is received the flange, and includes a hump projecting toward and into the defined compartment to contact a generally radially inward surface of the received flange such that the received flange contacts the clip at relatively smooth medial contact points on the hump. The weight may be formed as a unitary member from a sheet of steel and have a unitary sheet steel body and sheet steel clip.

1. A wheel balancing weight for mounting to a wheel with a flange, the weight formed as a unitary member from a sheet of steel and having a unitary sheet steel body and sheet steel clip such that the sheet steel clip as formed is attached to and coupled with the sheet steel body as formed, the sheet steel body for providing a predetermined mass to the weight and the sheet steel clip for securely grasping the flange to secure the weight thereto, the sheet steel body being formed from an elongate portion of sheet steel folded at least two times in a generally radial direction with respect to the mounted-to wheel such that the sheet steel body includes at least three folded sheet steel layers, each of the at least three folded sheet steel layers of the sheet steel body being generally planar and residing in a respective plane, all of the planes of the folded sheet steel layers being substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
       2. The weight of  claim 1  wherein the body has a lateral width about equal to or greater than a lateral width of the clip. 
     
     
       3. The weight of  claim 1  wherein the sheet steel body includes a central sheet steel portion laterally flanked by and interposed between a pair of opposing lateral sheet steel wing portions, the central portions and lateral portions collectively formed from the elongate portion of sheet steel folded at least two times in the radial direction such that each of the central portion and lateral portions includes at least three folded sheet steel layers. 
     
     
       4. The weight of  claim 3  wherein the central portion of the body has a lateral width about equal to or greater than a lateral width of the clip, the sheet steel body with the central portion and wing portions being laterally wider than the sheet steel clip. 
     
     
       5. The weight of  claim 3  wherein the sheet steel clip and central sheet steel portion of the body are generally centered with respect to the sheet steel body. 
     
     
       6. The weight of  claim 3  wherein the lateral sheet steel wing portions are bent into an arcuate form such that the sheet steel body matches an arcuate form of the flange. 
     
     
       7. The weight of  claim 3  wherein the lateral sheet steel wing portions are twisted into an arcuate form such that the sheet steel body matches an arcuate form of the flange. 
     
     
       8. The weight of  claim 1  wherein the sheet steel clip has a springed shape defining a compartment within which is received the flange of the wheel, the clip including a hump projecting toward and into the defined compartment to contact a generally radially inward surface of the received flange such that the received flange contacts the clip at one or more relatively smooth medial contact points on the hump, the medial contact points being away from adjacent relatively sharp lateral edges of the clip, whereby the flange is not damaged by the relatively sharp lateral edges when received in and removed from the compartment defined by the clip. 
     
     
       9. The weight of  claim 8  wherein the sheet steel clip extends in a generally outwardly radial direction with respect to the mounted-to wheel and away from the attached-to sheet steel body, curves firstly to a generally outboard axial direction with respect to the mounted-to wheel and extends generally toward an outboard plane, then curves secondly to the generally outwardly radial direction and extends generally within such outboard plane and away from the body, then curves thirdly back to a generally inboard axial direction and extends generally toward an inboard plane, and then curves fourthly to a direction between the inboard axial direction and a generally inwardly radial direction and extends through the inboard plane and also radially inwardly to a distal end. 
     
     
       10. The weight of  claim 9  wherein the radially inward surface of the received flange contacts the medial contact points on the hump at about where the clip curves firstly to the outboard axial direction, and wherein a generally radially outward surface of the received flange contacts a central contact point on the clip adjacent the distal end thereof and facing toward the compartment defined thereby. 
     
     
       11. The weight of  claim 8  wherein a generally radially outward surface of the received flange contacts a central contact point on the clip adjacent a distal end thereof and facing generally radially inwardly toward the compartment defined thereby, and wherein the radially inward surface of the received flange contacts the medial contact points on the hump generally across the compartment from the central contact point and facing generally radially outwardly toward the compartment. 
     
     
       12. The weight of  claim 11  wherein the central contact point is generally centered with respect to lateral edges of the clip and wherein each medial contact point is laterally displaced from the central contact point toward a respective lateral edge of the clip. 
     
     
       13. The weight of  claim 8  wherein the hump is generally centered between the lateral edges of the clip and projects into the compartment generally outwardly radially and away from the body and toward an area adjacent a distal end of the clip. 
     
     
       14. The weight of  claim 8  wherein the hump includes a generally laterally extending central plateau interposed between opposing lateral ramps, the central plateau being generally linear and generally tangential with respect to the flange when the clip is mounted thereto, and being elevated more radially outwardly than the adjacent lateral edges of the clip, the ramps being generally linear and at an angle to the central plateau such that each ramp transitions from the elevated plateau to a respective adjacent lateral edge. 
     
     
       15. The weight of  claim 14  wherein each medial contact point is at about a smoothed juncture between the central plateau and a respective lateral ramp. 
     
     
       16. The weight of  claim 14  wherein the hump is smoothed in a direction normal to the tangential central plateau. 
     
     
       17. A wheel balancing weight for mounting to a wheel with a flange, the weight formed as a unitary member from a sheet of steel and having a unitary sheet steel body and sheet steel clip such that the sheet steel clip as formed is attached to and coupled with the sheet steel body as formed, the sheet steel body for providing a predetermined mass to the weight and the sheet steel clip for securely grasping the flange to secure the weight thereto, the sheet steel body being formed from an elongate portion of sheet steel folded at least two times in a generally radial direction with respect to the mounted-to wheel such that the sheet steel body includes at least three folded sheet steel layers, each of the at least three folded sheet steel layers of the sheet steel body being generally planar and residing in a respective plane, all of the planes of the folded sheet steel layers being substantially parallel to one another, the sheet steel clip having a springed shape defining a compartment within which is received the flange of the wheel, the clip including a hump projecting toward and into the defined compartment to contact a generally radially inward surface of the received flange such that the received flange contacts the clip at one or more relatively smooth medial contact points on the hump, the medial contact points being away from adjacent relatively sharp lateral edges of the clip, whereby the flange is not damaged by the relatively sharp lateral edges when received in and removed from the compartment defined by the clip. 
     
     
       18. The weight of  claim 17  wherein the body has a lateral width about equal to or greater than a lateral width of the clip. 
     
     
       19. The weight of  claim 17  wherein the sheet steel body includes a central sheet steel portion laterally flanked by and interposed between a pair of opposing lateral sheet steel wing portions, the central portions and lateral portions collectively formed from the elongate portion of sheet steel folded at least two times in the radial direction such that each of the central portion and lateral portions includes at least three folded sheet steel layers. 
     
     
       20. The weight of  claim 19  wherein the central portion of the body has a lateral width about equal to or greater than a lateral width of the clip, the sheet steel body with the central portion and wing portions being laterally wider than the sheet steel clip. 
     
     
       21. The weight of  claim 19  wherein the sheet steel clip and central sheet steel portion of the body are generally centered with respect to the sheet steel body. 
     
     
       22. The weight of  claim 19  wherein the lateral sheet steel wing portions are bent into an arcuate form such that the sheet steel body matches an arcuate form of the flange. 
     
     
       23. The weight of  claim 19  wherein the lateral sheet steel wing portions are twisted into an arcuate form such that the sheet steel body matches an arcuate form of the flange. 
     
     
       24. The weight of  claim 17  wherein the hump includes a generally laterally extending central plateau interposed between opposing lateral ramps, the central plateau being generally linear and generally tangential with respect to the flange when the clip is mounted thereto, and being elevated more radially outwardly than the adjacent lateral edges of the clip, the ramps being generally linear and at an angle to the central plateau such that each ramp transitions from the elevated plateau to a respective adjacent lateral edge.